The Rock helps to set WrestleMania pay-per-view record

Apparently, a lot of wrestling fans smelled what the Rock was cooking.

The WWE announced that WrestleMania 28, featuring former University of Miami football player Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson vs. John Cena, set pay-per-view records April 1 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens.

Preliminary estimates show that what the WWE billed as a "once-in-a-lifetime"match garnered 1.3 million pay-per-view buys, with global gross sales in excess of $67 million, including the live event.

The Rock, who had been on hiatus from wrestling in favor of a movie career, returned to the ring to face Cena. Such appearances are common in WrestleMania, which has always attempted to reach beyond wrestling, going back to the first WrestleMania, which featured Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper, among others.

The approach appears to have worked this year, too. WrestleMania was seen on pay-per-view in more than 105 countries and in 20 languages.

Next year’s WrestleMania will take place Sunday, April 7, 2013, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Ticket information will be announced later this year.